VIA Rail's plan for dedicated tracks

Last updated: March 24, 2016

THE CHALLENGE:On-time service and congestion in the Québec City - Windsor corridor from sharing tracks with freight trains. This not only impacts our on-time performance, but it means that our train schedules and frequencies are dependent on the access we are granted by the owners of the infrastructure.

THE SOLUTION:

A dedicated passenger track

A dedicated passenger rail track within the Québec City – Windsor corridor is an important part of Canada’s transportation system. In 2015 and since the beginning of 2016, we have increased ridership and revenue, demonstrating the relevance of our trains within the corridor.

As the number of freight trains, commuter trains and VIA Rail trains continue to climb, it will become increasingly difficult for our passenger trains to improve their on-time performance. Without the reliability of on-time trains, Canadians will continue to choose their cars for shorter trips within the corridor, which will increase congestion and create unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions.